Common channel signalling systems such as Signalling System 7 are engendering various sophisticated services for telecommunications subscribers. These new services arise primarily out of these networks' ability to transport out-of-band trunk signaling and database messages separately from the customer voice or data messages that are transported over the telecommunications network.
Intelligent networks which permit even further management and control enhance the potential of these signalling networks. Such intelligent networks afford more efficient specification or modification of tasks such as call routing and services such as performing calling card checks, call screening and identifying callers. They also advantageously and significantly allow real time creation and modification of customized features and services desired by particular subscribers. An example is Personal Number Calling, in which a person may request that she or he be reached at one location for particular times of the day and at another location for other times, all using the same telephone number, but subject to change immediately.
Intelligent networks are well suited to address these new additional demands flexibly, efficiently and reliably. Information relating to the status of services and features desired by subscribers may be maintained in intelligent Network Elements ("NE's") such as conventional Advanced Intelligent Network ("AIN") Service Control Points ("SCP's"), Service Nodes ("SN's"), Intelligent Peripherals ("IP's") or other intelligent network elements which are available for query by central offices, switches and similar elements of the switching network. Changes or updates to that information from network growth, the network itself, new subscribers, new services, a particular service, the desires of a particular subscriber, and any other additions, deletions or updates can be disseminated to the Network Elements from a centralized management system. Such management systems are conventionally known as Operations Support Systems ("OSS's") or Service Management Systems ("SMS's"). An OSS user may specify these sorts of changes on, for instance, a provisioning interface, at which point the OSS automatically and in a coordinated and reliable fashion effects all necessary modifications in data stored in various Network Elements throughout the intelligent network.
Conventional processes for managing data in Network Elements via the Operations Support System require the Operations Support System user to be confronted with detailed, low level representation of the data stored in the Network Elements in order to operate on that data and make necessary changes and updates. This awkwardness arises primarily because conventional Operations Support System provisioning interface displays typically correspond very closely to actual Network Element data so that the user must be acquainted with multiple equipment and data configurations in order to make changes reliably.
Conventional nonmodular processes also make it difficult to ensure that the Operations Support System is compatible with multiple Network Element and component types, configurations and protocols. Conventional processes often Situate the functionality for compliance with network interface protocol in the programs that support various services ("Client Programs"), so that changes in interface protocol, for instance, require changes in each such program. Program complexity, instability and unreliability can be the consequences.
Conventional intelligent network processes are also ripe for management of Requests to various Network Elements generated by Client Programs. Often, the Client Programs are left to compete with one another over the various network interfaces for priority on the network, with inadequate or no queuing, synchronization, prioritization or facility for manual or rules-based control.